Parental Pre‐ and Postpartum Mental Health Predicts Child Mental Health and Development

• Author: Maija Tulppala,Raija‐Leena Punamäki,Marjo Flykt,Aila Tiitinen,Leila Unkila‐Kallio,Asko Tolvanen,Jallu Lindblom,Mervi Vänskä
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12260
• Published date: 01 July 2017
• Date: 01 July 2017

M V, R-L P, J L,  M F

University of Tampere

A T University of Jyväskylä

L U-K Helsinki University Central Hospital and University of Helsinki

M T University of Helsinki

A T Helsinki University Central Hospital and University of Helsinki

Parental Pre- and Postpartum Mental Health Predicts

Child Mental Health and Development

Objective: To identify interplay of early mater-

nal and paternal mental health symptoms for

predicting child mental health and development.

Background: Research on family mental health

has largely excluded fathers, although the

well-being of both parents is likely to be impor-

tant for child development. In this study, we

analyzed (a) intrafamilial dynamics between

mothers’ and fathers’ early mental health symp-

toms and (b) the importance of separate (mother

and father) and joint (additive, hierarchical,

and buffering) theoretical models of parental

mental health for predicting child mental health

and development.

Method: Finnish mothers and fathers (N=

763), half of whom conceived through assisted

reproductive treatments (ART), reported their

symptoms of psychological distress and depres-

sion from the pregnancy to 2months and

12 months postpartum. Later, when the child

was 7–8 years of age, parents (N=485) reported

Faculty of Social Sciences, 33014 University of Tampere,

Finland (mervi.vanska@uta.).

Key Words: Child development, child mental health, mater-

nal depression, parentalmental health, paternal depression,

pre- and postpartum period.

the child’s internalizing and externalizing symp-

toms and social and cognitive developmental

problems.

Results: We identied both co-occurrence and

compensation in intrafamilial early parental

mental health. Further, mothers’ symptoms

alone (separate mother model) predicted child

internalizing symptoms, whereas joint parental

symptoms (additive model) predicted problems

in executive function.

Conclusion: The pre- and postnatal mental

health of mothers and fathers is important for

later child development.

Implications: To support healthy childdevelop-

ment, both parents need to be screened for early

mental health problems, and psychological help

should be offered to families across the pre- and

postpartum period.

For decades, the family systems perspective has

emphasized that families function as organized,

holistic systems. Nevertheless, the vast majority

of research on family mental health continues to

focus on individual family members. Maternal

and paternal mental health is often studied sepa-

rately, although each is known to inuence the

other (Goodman, 2008; Paulson & Bazemore,

Family Relations 66 (July 2017): 497–511 497

DOI:10.1111/fare.12260